


Love Transcends Time

by Morriggann, Roguex1979



Category: Loki - Fandom, Tom Hiddleston - Fandom
Genre: AU Loki - Freeform, Blood Drinking, British English, F/M, Fluff, Oral Sex, Seduction, Sex, Unsafe Sex, Vampire Loki
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-29
Updated: 2017-12-10
Packaged: 2019-01-26 06:33:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 22,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12551308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Morriggann/pseuds/Morriggann, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Roguex1979/pseuds/Roguex1979
Summary: When Natalia first meets Loki, she has the odd sensation that she's met him before, but that's not possible. As the two get to know each other, she discovers that there are more possibilities than she could ever imagine.





	1. Chapter 1

The breeze was cool but not too crisp, perfect for a Halloween night. The sky was clear, full of stars, and the moon was shining brightly. Natalia Vasileva was in full autumn holiday mode, busy putting up the final touches on her colleague’s daughter Irina’s costume. The girl had prepared a fierce ninja princess with her mother but would go around to fetch candy with Natalia, since her mother had to work late at the hospital.

 As she’d wanted, the princess skirt she had on would turn into a cape so she could be a ninja. It was an idea the girl had had after seeing the princess turn into a secret ninja at night to help keep a city safe.

 Once the hem of the cape was sewn properly, Natalia fit it on Irina, fixed her hair under and over the eye mask, then sat the girl down with a book while she put her own makeup on. She’d decided to keep things simple; no mask and no wig, so she could keep an eye on Irina without her view being obstructed. The little girl loved to explore but was under her responsibility.

 She’d taken an old pink dress and revamped it with a tutu to look like a 50s pinup that had been turned into a zombie. Her hair was twisted up, her face pale with reddish eyes and lips.

 “Alright, sweetie, ready to go?” she finally said when she was done.

 The girl picked up her pumpkin basket and sprang up. “Yes! Let’s go, I want aaaall the candy in this city!”

 Laughing, Natalia ushered her out of her house, then locked the door behind her. They walked down the pathway and onto the street, joining other trick-or-treaters. It was a busy night in the neighbourhood, more than any other night. Many children lived in the area and all around were sounds of the night from spooky recordings coming from houses and children screaming in happiness or fright.

 As they walked around, Natalia’s eyes kept coming back to an older house at the corner of the street. She’d always been fascinated by it; it was old yet kept alive, but she never saw anyone coming in or going out. Tonight, the path leading to the stairs was lit up and the house decorated for the occasion. Tugging on Irina’s hand, she asked, “You want to try that big house?” _I hope she says yes, my curiosity can finally be satisfied._

 The young girl looked and narrowed her eyes. “I’m sure I can kick some monsters’ butts there.” Hurrying the pace, she led the little girl there, her plastic pumpkin dangling from her hand.

 Several kids were already at the door when Natalia and Irina made their way up the stairs. The parents with the children looked a little nervous, but the house was done up with hanging spiderwebs and a few scary carved pumpkins and lights trailed along the pathway...universal language for "I am not opposed to having people ring my bell and yell in my face for candy".

 One brave boy stood on tiptoes to ring the bell, then stumbled back when he heard the deep and ominous ancient bell ringing. For a second, everyone held their breaths, wondering who or _what_ would come out of the old house.

 A moment later, the door creaked open slowly and out of the darkness of the doorway, a tall man emerged, looking frightfully pale, red-tinged lips like he'd been drinking blood; his eyes were dark, red, heavy eyeliner around the lids and when he smiled, his fangs were very visible. He then hissed and several of the kids screamed. The man then laughed. "Don't _vorry_! I _von't_ suck your blood!" He leaned over to the nearest child and whispered, "I'm already full from the last visitors!"

 Irina tugged Natalia's hand. "Look at his makeup, Nat! Next year, I want you to do that for me. Tell Mommy, okay?" She kept staring, waiting her turn to get candy.

 Natalia nodded, smiling. She took in the man's appearance; he had shoulder length slick black hair and a fiery gaze. He played his part well. The disguised vampire’s nails were longer than normal, and he twirled his fingers ominously as he distributed candy to the kids. The parents grinned and feigned being afraid when their kids looked at them, then walked them down the path. Irina didn’t seem as stunned by the vampire as the other children.

 She took her ninja pose and said, "Give me all the candy and I won't kick your butt!"

 The tall man leaned down to look Irina in the eyes. "Oh dear! _Vhat_ a horrible thing to say to a hungry man.” He licked his lips. “You look delicious!" he added with his terrible fake accent.

 The young girl wasn't fazed, and he chuckled before saying, "Very well..." He stood tall and briefly glanced at Natalia before reaching to the side to fetch another bucket of sweets. But, as he looked at her, their eyes locked and the man seemed to take in a sharp breath.

 A long shiver ran through Natalia's body. The way he was looking at her was intense.... like he was trying to say something. She smiled at him. "Hi… I know Irina can be a little intense, but it comes from a good place. She feels she was born to be a ninja.”

 "Aaaall! I want aaaall the candyyyyy!" The little girl pulled out a fake shuriken from her belt. "Or I will throw this!"

 The man seemed to be spellbound by Natalia and she suddenly wondered if he was okay. Irina's shrieking seemed to pull him out of his trance, but he still seemed a little flustered, so much so that he dropped the fake accent, only for Natalia to hear a British one underneath.

 "Right...of course. Don't worry, I have plenty for you." He smiled at Irina and took a large handful of candy, much more than he’d given to the other children, and dropped it all into the girl’s pumpkin-shaped bucket. "There you go." He stood straight and glanced at Natalia again, not saying anything else.

 His accent made her swallow hard, only adding to the charm of his character. "Thank Mister the Vampire, Irina. He was very generous with you." She couldn't help but smile, nor take her eyes off him. "Thank you," she whispered.

 Irina did a 'ha-ya' and unclasped her cape so it would become the skirt over her leggings to bow princess like. "Thank you, Mr. Prince Vampire." She grinned, then skipped down the stairs, along with the path and onto the pavement.

 "Wait for me, Irina. No crossing the street!" Natalia looked at the man. "Thank you again. Your house is so lovely, even when it's not Halloween."

 The man smiled, still clearly shocked about...something, Natalia had no idea what, and he didn't say anything more other than a 'thank you' before slipping back into the dark doorway and closing the heavy looking door.

~;~

 

After Halloween had passed and Irina had gone back home after a weekend with Natalia, the woman resumed her routine. But there was something odd now when she walked to work.

 Every day, she passed the large house, and more and more, she felt attracted to it, though she couldn’t understand why. _How am I supposed to just go in there for no reason? I don't know the guy._ She resolved to only looking from afar. It was like the house called to her, inviting her inside. She wondered about the house’s history, seeing it was so old.

 One night in late November while walking back from work, she wrapped her coat around her tighter; the evening was cold with icy wind, a sure sign that winter was around the corner. As she passed the house as usual, she heard her name whispered. Frowning, she looked around, her heart skipping a beat. "Hello?"

 

_Nataliaaaaa..._

 It was almost like the wind had called to her. It was whistling and whispering at the same time. Natalia glanced around her and heard it again, like a caress in her mind. She groaned and shook her head. She walked up to the house’s gate, remaining on the pavement, and as she looked up, saw a light on in one of the windows as well as a shadow. But when she blinked, the shadow disappeared. Wrapping her arms around herself to keep warm, though the shivers weren’t only from the cold, she hurried home, then quickly locked the door behind her.

  _Nataliaaaa..._

 Even inside her own home, she could still hear the voice, wondering who it was that was trying to scare her...or if her mind was playing tricks on her. That was a possibility, seeing the long working hours and the tasks she had at the hospital.

 After dinner, she took a warm bath, feeling the cold spreading to her bones. Reading in the tub, she waited to be warmed up enough, only to snuggle down with thick pyjamas under the covers to watch a movie. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep, though, the long day getting to her.

 In her dreams, the man with the big house was gliding on the pavement as if floating. His hair in the wind, he approached her house and watched from the lawn, his eyes nearly glowing. She could see his lips as he called to her, “ _Nataliaaaa…”_ The sound of his voice made her moan, her nipples peaking in arousal. It was like a hot tongue on her skin and she never wanted it to stop.

 She woke with a gasp, noticing her hand was between her legs, under her pyjamas. Groaning, she touched herself slowly, thinking about _his_ long fingers touching her. Her folds were wet, making her fingers glide easily. Inhaling sharply at the pleasure she gave herself, Natalia wondered what the man’s name was, wanting to scream it. She flicked her clit harder and faster, teasing her entrance with the tip of her index, only to close her legs around her hand when she climaxed.

 Panting, the young woman wasn’t sure what was going on. Never before had a man affected her like _this_ before; certainly not a man she met for about thirty seconds anyway. She sighed, cleaning her fingers with a tissue, then settled back comfortably, falling back into a dreamless sleep.

~;~

 

It was a few days later that she was at the hospital looking over a patient's chart when the duty nurse came over. "Doctor Vasileva, it's happened again."

 Her brow furrowed, Natalia asked, "Again? Something's going on in this town." She followed the nurse to look over a patient in the emergency bay. The man was pale, his eyes fluttering while he moaned something, and the doctor could see the massive blood loss just by looking at him. She ordered O Negative quickly and took his vitals. His breath was shallow, and he still moaned in his unconsciousness, though nothing intelligible. Natalia looked at the nurse. "Keep the drip on him, check his vitals every thirty minutes. If there's any change, good or bad, let me know. I want to know what's going on, it's the fourth in the last two months."

 The nurse nodded and hurried to fulfill Nat's request. This one was exactly like the others, drained of blood, without obvious signs of trauma; no exit wounds even! It was like the blood just vanished out of the patients’ bodies. The blood losses were never enough to kill the victims, but enough to leave them on the cusp of death. The strange thing was that they were all men and had all been found near the hospital, almost like it was happening close by. Or, Natalia thought, someone was bringing them to the hospital to make sure they didn't die...

 She shook her head. _What purpose would that serve?_ She frowned and took notes on her phone to call up other hospitals about any similar patients, then moved onto a new patient, an ambulance arriving outside.

 During her shift, she worked carefully but every time she had a moment to herself, her thoughts returned to the blood loss patient and all the others that had been drained. Natalia wondered if someone had a perverse idea of toying with people’s lives. But how were they doing it? _No exit wounds..._

 Towards the end of her shift, she visited with the man. He was resting comfortably, still unconscious, but doing slightly better according to the nurse. "The blood transfusion has helped a lot but he still hasn’t woken up. The next shift has been made aware of his situation."

 "Good, good. Now, you're off soon and so am I. But tomorrow, I have an idea we could work on together."

 She filled the nurse in about wanting to call the other hospitals in the area to find out if they had similar patients. The nurse agreed, and they parted ways as the relief shift came in.


	2. Chapter 2

Walking home from the hospital was something she did every night, keeping her car for errands and outings, but also to get some fresh air. Like every night, Natalia passed the house again. This time, a candle was lit at the turret window and gave an eerie look, but also made the house look like it was set in Victorian times. As she crossed the street to get to her house, she heard it again.

  _Nataliaaaa..._

 She paused, one foot on the road, the other still on the pavement. She didn't know why but suddenly got an urge to step back and turned around. She felt like _he_ was calling to her. _I’m so ridiculous!_ she thought. It was her imagination. Yet, even as she was thinking that she found herself climbing the stairs and ringing the doorbell. She didn’t even remember opening the gate!

 Almost immediately, the door creaked open and the man stood there in the doorway, no costume, no makeup, his eyes a beautiful jade colour. He looked...normal. For some reason, she'd been expecting him to look as he did on Halloween.

 He smiled at her when he saw her standing there. "Good evening, Natalia."

 She was about to greet him but realised she didn't know his name. Worse, he knew hers and she'd never told him. "H-How do you know my name?" She asked, remaining on the porch.

 "I overheard your little ninja princess call you as you were leaving." He stepped to the side and gestured into the house. "Please, come in."

 "Oh." She suddenly felt stupid but still entered the house. The lobby was dark but still nicely lit with a falling chandelier made like weeping willows.

 The walls and floors were in beautiful woodwork, carpet covering the large staircase. "You have a beautiful home. And… I have no idea what I'm doing here." Natalia laughed nervously.

 The man laughed as well, his voice like velvet. "Well, you are just in time for some dinner. I've made far too much for myself. Would you care to join me?"

 "D-dinner? Oh... I don't want you to think I'm inviting myself." She inhaled slowly and the scent coming to her nose made her stomach growl...loudly. She knew he'd heard. "But I can't hide I'm hungry." She smiled. "Alright, I'll join you. Only if you tell me your name."

 "Oh! How rude of me." The man bowed with a flourish. "My name is Loki Laufeyson."

 His surname was more than familiar and as soon as he said 'Loki', she felt this peace coming over her like she'd met him before and enjoyed his presence. "Loki...Laufeyson," she said the way he did minus the accent. "I know your family by its name. They…they were...in furniture. The Laufeyson technique, right?"

 Loki smiled and nodded while taking her coat from her and hanging it up on a hook by the door. "Why, yes! How wonderful to meet someone who knows that. The technique still lives on but has mostly fallen into obscurity. People don't seem to want the beauty of a Laufeyson anymore. We do other furniture for the more modern tastes. Occasionally, a Laufeyson will be sold at auction with my permission."

 "My great-grandmother had a chest and passed down in the family. It was beautiful, an old rolltop desk. I often dreamed I could sit there and write letters to imaginary penpals." Natalia smiled and followed him to the dining room, which was nicely set. "What did you cook?" she asked as he helped her sit.

 Pushing her chair as she sat, Loki fetched a place setting for her. "Roast lamb, potatoes, fresh vegetables, gravy and mint sauce if you like, or mustard. And for dessert, a blood orange chocolate mousse." He sat in the chair adjacent to hers and offered her the plate of already cut meat.

 “You’re spoiling me! I never cook such elaborate meals seeing as I’d eat the same thing for days.” She hummed when she saw everything on the plate. “Are you a chef in your spare time?” She shivered when she looked at him, seeing his gaze so intense on her.

 Loki looked away when she caught him looking so intently at her. He cleared his throat. "No. I just know how to cook. I like spending time in the kitchen." It's all he seemed to want to say on the matter. "So...tell me a little about yourself, Natalia."

 She took a bite of the lamb dipped in mint jelly and hummed at the flavour. Chewing thoughtfully, then smiled. "I'm a doctor at Sacred Heart Hospital and have been for about eight years now. I really enjoy it, it's a great thing to help people this way."

 "A doctor, you say?" Loki asked, linking his fingers together and resting his chin on the bridge they made. "How fascinating! Is it true that most doctors begin with the enthusiasm of the career but eventually become so disillusioned that it becomes more of a chore?"

 Natalia snorted. "Maybe, but I'm not there yet. I still enjoy it. The look in someone’s eyes when you figure out what ails them or heal them is priceless. But I know some doctors who seem...bored? I don't know if it's the right word, but you know, a mistake in this field can cost a career so they simply do less and less and take easy cases. Or they do office work. I'm still in the fast lane, in the emergency room."

 She smiled. “I remember a woman who had pains for years. Constant milder pain that she just _lived_ with, and frequent attacks of pain so bad she would be curled up on the floor thinking she was dying until it passed. She’d had her gallbladder out already, but they didn’t fix the problem. She had become a shell of her former self, she said. She came to the hospital with the ambulance one day and she was assigned to me. She had been to her general practitioner and specialists but no one could find anything wrong with her. I ran the usual tests and was about to tell her the same thing, except… I noticed something, some small insignificant thing and I had a hunch. I followed it up with her. Turns out there were still gallstones in her ducts. She had more surgery to remove the stones and after the pain of her surgery wore off, she came back weeks later in tears of joy. She was so happy to be pain-free.”  
  
She looked at him. “It’s being able to do things like that which makes it all worthwhile...even if the next one pukes all over you!”

 The dark-haired man smiled warmly at her story. "Yes, you do seem to have the spark, still." Loki took a bite of the meat and chewed it slowly. "So, tell me more,” he finally said. “You...seem to have no fear of having dinner with a stranger you met briefly on a Halloween night."

 "I have a sixth sense with jerks and you didn't really ignite that in my mind." She observed him for a moment, his green eyes shining in the subdued lighting. "You were nice with Irina and that is a good point in my book."

 "Ah yes. I love children. They are so full of life!" he commented.

 The conversation dwindled, yet Natalia didn't feel uncomfortable. She felt as though she was having dinner with an old friend that she hadn't seen for years and was beginning to reconnect with.

 Loki ate slowly, seeming to relish the food. He took occasional sips of a dark red wine. He looked over at her when he was near done with his meal. "Oh, excuse me, would you care for some wine?" He reached for a decanter.

 Shaking her head with a smile, she refused. "Not tonight. I'm working in the morning and I'd rather not drink when I'm on call. Maybe another night… I could cook? I make a mean dessert!" Natalia suddenly realised she was asking him out, more so, to her place!

 The man looked stunned at the invitation but then gave her a sly smile, cocking an eyebrow. "Are you inviting me into your home?"

 She thought about for a second, then answered, "Well, yes. You cared enough to invite me into yours, I can offer the same in return. But my house isn't as majestic as yours." His eyes seemed to glow slightly, but when Nat blinked, it was gone. _Must've been a trick of the light._

 Taking another bite, she looked around the dining room. "How many rooms are there in here? From outside, it looks huge."

 He turned his head and looked around, silent for a moment, but seemingly thinning. "I think there are 10 rooms in all. If you don't count the en-suite bathrooms or the basement and attic and under the stairs water closet."

 "You think? You've never explored your own home?" She laughed softly. "I would be all over this place looking for secret passageways in a heartbeat. In my mind, when I was a little girl, I was an adventurer looking for treasures."

 This seemed to appeal to Loki and his face lit up. "Really? Well, would you like to take a tour? After dessert, I mean."

 She grinned. "I would love that. That means I need to find something to do after my dinner that's just as fun." She laughed and dug in the potatoes, enjoying the meal. "So, the accent is real, that much I know. But why did you move here?"

 Loki raised an eyebrow. "You thought my accent was fake?" He laughed. “I...uh...moved from England a long time ago, but...I just...never dropped the accent I suppose."

 "That means you need to get out more, mingle.” Her eyes twinkled with amusement and he laughed. “My grandmother was from Russia and with all the charity events she participated in once she immigrated, she blended a bit more. So, my mother was raised in both languages, but I didn’t retain much when she taught me some. I understood the basics." Finishing her lamb, she asked, "Do you do anything? I mean, when you don't work?"

 "I read. I enjoy the occasional walk." He seemed to shy away from that part of the conversation. "Mostly, I work. I work from home though. My office is extensive here. I only travel to the business if something incredibly important needs to happen or be discussed."

 "Ah, I see,” Natalia replied with a hum. “Well, you have amazing taste in decoration once Halloween comes. I can't wait to see your Christmas decorations." Finishing her water glass, she pushed her plate away. "That was an amazing dinner. Thank you." She put her elbow on the table, resting her chin on her hand. "What are you reading these days?"

 Loki wiped his mouth and took another sip of his oddly dark-coloured wine. _The colour was different in the decanter…_ Nat ignored that even if she noticed it. _Maybe he was finishing an old bottle..._ "Oh, this and that. I have a large collection, so I usually read old favourites, some new..." He smiled and stood, gathered the plates including his wine glass which was nearly finished. "Let me get the dessert"

 "Can I help?" Loki shook his head, so she stayed in the dining room, but got up to look around. Loki had many antiques, it seemed. Nat was no archaeologist, but some looked...genuine and very very old. "So beautiful," Natalia whispered.

 Entering the room with two bowls of a dark chocolate mousse, Loki smiled at the words. "I like to collect old things, “ he said. "And some newer things.” He pointed out a porcelain doll that did _not_ give Natalia the creeps for a change. There was an ethereal beauty about her. “She’s lasted generations though.”

 "She’s beautiful." Natalia turned around. "Whoever made her had immense talent.” She went to sit back at the table, looking at the mousse he served her. "It's nice that she is so well kept all this time. A family heirloom should always be protected this way. I have something from my grandmother who passed before I was born, the only valuable thing she had when she left Russia. My mother gave it to me when I turned 16."

 Loki sat and was very interested. "Oh? And what was that?"

 Subconsciously, Nat played with the chain around her neck. "She and my grandfather saved their money from working in a manufacturing plant a long time before they could marry. They had my mother a bit late, their only child. But my grandfather offered her a real gold wedding ring. Babushka gave it to Mama on her deathbed and Mama gave it to me. It's simple but has sentimental value mostly."

 Loki smiled. "May I see it?"

 Without a second thought, she unclasped it and gave it to Loki. "I keep it around my neck so I don't break sterilisation with gloves at the hospital. And I don't want to lose it either."

 Loki took the long chain and examined the golden ring hanging from it. It was well worn, old. He brought it closer to his face, looking on the inner side. "This is old...very old. It wasn't new when your grandfather bought it..."

 "No, it wasn't. But it was all he could afford and Babushka loved him for the gesture anyway. She wore it with pride every single day of her life. They had a rough life after the Second World War and during the Cold War so, she clung to this after Dedushka died." She felt naked without the chain around her neck so rubbed it to comfort herself.

 The man nodded and seemed to sense her discomfort. He handed the chain and ring back to her. "It's beautiful," he said with a soft voice and she placed it back around her neck where it belonged.

 They dug into the mousse which has a rich chocolate flavor with orange undertones. Loki hummed and smiled. "This is one of my favourite guilty pleasures."

 “I enjoy it, too. Death by chocolate would be the best death ever. I always keep some at home in case I need a little picker upper," she said. She took a scoop of the mousse and moaned softly. " _Gawd_ , you're an amazing cook!"

 "Can I let you in on a little secret?" He leaned in and so did Nat. He whispered, "It's a box mousse with a few drops of blood orange food flavouring."

 She gasped. " _Liiies!_ All lies!!" Smiling, she took another bite. "Really? It's still great. And thank you for having me over. I know I kind of invited myself but still."

 "It's quite alright. You are more than welcome. I enjoy the company." He gazed at her and she blushed.

 They finished their dessert and then took the last of the dishes to the kitchen. For an older house, Natalia was expecting a hearth or an open fireplace or something like that, but it was a modern kitchen with a dishwasher. "So, I guess the tour starts in the dining room and the kitchen. It's lovely, really. It's obvious you modernised the kitchen but that's kind of unavoidable with a house this old." The counters were made of marble with modern plumbing for the sink. "It's very clean looking, which I mean as a compliment. Clean lines, etc."

 Loki smiled and showed her the room off of the kitchen. "This is a utility room with the boiler and washing machine. And an exit to the garden.” He turned and took her back out into the hallway. "This is my study..." He showed her a small room with several shelves of ledgers and a desk with a high-tech computer on it. He then showed her a small lounge. "And this is where I relax with a glass of...port...in the evening. Sometimes, I will watch telly. But, my real pride and joy is _this_ room." He led her to a large study with high walls filled to the brim with bookshelves _filled_ with books. There was a large fireplace and comfortable chairs beside it.

 Natalia's eyes widened as her feet led her inside. "Oh, my... It's...it's fantastic!" She went along the bookshelves, running her finger along the shelves so she wouldn't touch the books. "It's an amazing collection you have. And it smells heavenly!" She turned to him. "I love the old book smell!"

 He smiled. "Yes, it's a unique scent that never gets boring."

 He sounded wistful. Some of the books that Natalia came across looked positively ancient, like first editions of almost everything. She came across a book she recognised. "Oh wow! Is this the first edition..." She turned to him, eyes wide. "That's Shakespeare's _The Tempest_ and it looks like the first edition. Is it? Can I...touch it?"

 Loki hurried over and made a scrunchy face. "Uh...actually, I'm not supposed to have that out on display like that..." He carefully closed it and held it tightly. "It's one of my favourites."

 "Sorry… I couldn't help myself! It’s my favourite too." She stepped back, keeping her hands to herself. She looked around some more, impressed by the collection he'd amassed. "I don't think I'd ever leave this room if I could. But that doesn't put food on the table."

 "Yes, you could happily starve in here… Food for the mind is good, but you neglect the body and before you know it, you're on the floor, dragging yourself to the kitchen for some emergency blood...orange...blood orange juice to give you enough energy!"

 She quirked an eyebrow and grinned. "You seem to love blood orange..or just orange a lot," she noted with a laugh. Going around the chair, she noticed it was an antique. "This is beautiful. You live in my dream home, really. Do you want to exchange lives?"

 Loki laughed and ran his hand over the finely crafted furniture. "I'm afraid not. But feel free to come visit anytime you like. I can show you some first editions that you _can_ touch..." He led her out of the library and up the stairs, showing her all the perfectly normal bedrooms and washrooms. He then showed her his bedroom, which was decorated in rich olive greens, black, and browns. It had a very Victorian feel to it. "And, this is my room..."

 "Wow...it's very...regal!" She didn't go too far in to not make him uncomfortable. But seeing the four-post bed and canopy made her smile. "I wanted a bed like that when I was a little girl. So, I could jump on it until the end of times." But now, she suddenly imagined laying there with him. Blushing dark, she turned away, swallowing hard. "You have great taste in decoration."

 They were standing quite close together and looked into each other's eyes. Loki seemed to reach forward but then pulled his hand away, closing his eyes. "No...not yet," he murmured under his breath. "Thank you," he said louder when she asked him what he'd said. "I find these colors soothing after a long busy day."

 He led her down the stairs and to the living room, where they kept on chatting for a while longer, settle in front of the fireplace. They spoke of Russia and food, which seemed to be a common love, and a while later, Natalia yawned.

 “I think I should go, so I’m fresh in the morning for my shift.”

 Loki nodded and led her to the entrance, taking her coat off the hook and holding it out so she could put it on. He opened the door for her. "Thank you for joining me for dinner."

 "And thank you for having me over for dinner, it was amazing." She stepped on the porch and waved goodbye. "I'll let you know when I can cook for you. I'm on night duty for the next three days though."

 Loki smiled. “I will look forward to it immensely.” He bowed as she left and waved, closing the door behind her.

As she climbed down the steps, Natalia felt something tugging in her belly as if her body and soul wanted to stay with Loki. She couldn’t really understand why since they’d barely met but knew it was possible the beginning of something. A smile widened on her face and she walked home, feeling light on her feet.


	3. Chapter 3

The next few days passed in a blur of work. Natalia looked forward to her dreams day after day. They always seemed to incorporate Loki. He would whisper her name in her ear, his breath hot on her skin. The sex was always fantastic, but of course, she always woke up alone and with her hands between her legs. Every time, she brought herself to orgasm, thinking of him.

 For every dream she had, Natalia wanted to see him even more. So, when she finally got her latest schedule, she saw she was on the day shift. Immediately after her shift, she went to see Loki to invite him over to her place. He wasn't home, so she left a note in his mailbox inviting him for dinner the next evening at 7 pm, hoping he’d be there.

 As he'd prepared lamb for her dinner, she opted for roast chicken with all the side dishes, and a chocolate pie for dessert. She picked wine accordingly and when 7 pm rolled around and he wasn't there, she feared he hadn't seen her note or worse, he decided not to come.

 It was a little past seven when the doorbell went. Natalia smiled as she hurried to answer the door. Loki stood there, a bouquet of black roses in his hands.

 "They're not really black, just a very, very, very deep shade of burgundy," he told her when she looked at them with awe. "Forgive my lateness. I... could not decide what to wear." He gave her a small, apologetic smile.

 She noticed he looked a little...paler than usual. More tired. _Maybe it’s the dark suit that shows off his paleness._ “Thank you for the flowers, they’re lovely.” She took the flowers, inhaling the scent, and invited him inside, putting the flowers in a vase while in the kitchen. "I hope you're hungry, I think I went a little overboard with food."

 He took a long deep inhale of air and smiled. "Chicken, my favourite. And can one really go overboard with food? It is one of life's greatest delights!"

 "That it is. And I love chicken." She took him to the dining room and placed the decanter of wine on the table. Loki took it from her to serve them both while she sat.

 Natalia raised her glass. "To a lovely dinner." Looking at him in the low lighting of her dining room brought her dreams back and she closed her legs quickly, feeling sudden arousal. "H-How was your day?"

 He took a sip from his wine glass and raised an eyebrow, still silent. She wondered if he could feel her flushed skin from there, smell her arousal when he stared at her. But he simply placed his glass down. "It was tiring. I have been quite busy with the business and haven't had time for a few...essential errands..." He gave her a withering look.

 "I can understand that. My schedule is so off the charts sometimes that the only thing left in my fridge is garlic and ketchup. Nothing to sustain a woman too long." Natalia was glad he brought her back on track, so she wouldn’t think of her pulsing core. "Although there is a service in town, you can order meals for the week. I do that on night shifts and it helps a lot. Otherwise, I'd eat a lot of chips and junk food."

 He laughed at that. "I wish I could have a service bring me what I needed. But it's rather...specialised." He seemed to look like he'd spoken out of turn. “I’m picky,” he added quickly. "I am glad you like the flowers. I grow them in my backyard."

 "Oh, really? Wow, you have a green thumb like I never have. I kill plants easily, but I'll do my best to keep these beautiful ones alive as long as I can."

 A beep coming from the kitchen made her stand. "I'll be right back. The chicken is ready, and I just need to whip the gravy. Unless… Would you like to carve the bird?"

 Loki smiled. "Of course,..." He stood and followed her to the kitchen, his hand on the small of her back. She suppressed a small shiver to feel him touch her.

 The potatoes were done roasting as well, the salad only needed to be tossed. She took the chicken out of the oven, leaving in on the counter and gave him a carving knife. "I'd like a breast, please. I'm a breast woman." She frowned. "Uhm… You get what I mean, right?" She flushed with embarrassment.

 He had been looking at her with wide eyes and then laughed. "You know what, I'm a breast person, too." He winked and began carving. "So, tell me. This is an awfully sharp knife… Is it every day that you trust a strange man in your kitchen to carve your chicken?" He glanced at her with a wicked twinkle in his eyes.

 He was joking, she could tell, so Natalia gave him a small smile even if the look did something wonderful to her insides. "No, it's not. Last weekend, I had a zombie over while I cooked brains. It was an awesome experience!" She grinned as she tossed the salad and put it into serving bowls. Whipping the gravy in the pot after that, she added, "Also, I _really_ like to have serial killers here. They make interesting guests and have fun stories to tell."

 That made Loki laugh loudly. "Well, I've heard that zombies are quite messy. I hope he cleaned up after himself."

 Natalia noticed he was carving the chicken expertly, just like a surgeon would; steady and precise. She wanted to tell him that for some reason, she also felt incredibly comfortable with him, but chose not to. It would sound strange coming from someone who had only known him for a short time.

 One by one, they carried the food to the table and sat comfortably to eat. They ate, chatting a bit about her work, then hobbies. "So, in all of that big library of yours, what is your favourite? You know, besides the old ones?"

 He looked at her and with a look for all seriousness, he said, "I rather enjoy the Twilight series."

 She blinked repeatedly. "I'm sorry, what? Really?" she asked, staring in disbelief.

 Loki couldn't look more serious. She was waiting for him to laugh and say he was joking, so when he didn't and said, "It portrays Vampires in a very different light to that of, say, Dracula," she was convinced he actually meant it.

 Under her breath, she muttered an 'oh, my god', then shoved a piece of lettuce in her mouth. "Well, it's...different, yes."

 He smiled but still didn't say he was joking. They ate in silence and Loki poured more wine, looking at her. Natalia wondered how he could enjoy such a badly written book, but then again, didn't want to judge. "My favourite is an obscure book by a South American author, Antonio Skarmeta. It’s the story of a young mailman asking a poet to help him write poems, so he can charm the love of his life. I'm a bit of a romantic."

 He listened to her explain it to him, nodding. "Ah yes, I've read that one." He saw her not looking at him and reached out a hand to place over hers. "Is the Twilight thing a deal breaker? Because I can leave now, no hard feelings, but I won’t excuse my enjoyment of the series. Don’t get me wrong, the movies are atrocious..."

 “They most definitely are. But by admitting this, I’ll judge you a little less,” she answered with a fake snooty grin. “Anyway, uhm… I guess with your business, you've travelled a lot?" she asked, feeling his hand cool over hers.

 He grinned at her high and mighty attitude with amusement. He grazed his thumb to gently swipe her hand. "I have. All over the place,” he answered.

 "What was your favourite?"

 He looked at the ceiling in thought. "Actually, it was Russia. The buildings in Moscow are so beautiful."

 “You’ve been to my motherland!” she replied excitedly. “That is great. I haven’t been there since I was a teenager, but I loved it. My family was from a small town, east of Moscow, actually. Save for that, my favourite trip was Italy. My parents offered me that when I graduated med school.”

 He continued to stroke her hand. It was a bit distracting...in a good way. The way he looked at her, like he knew her, like he already knew all this about her, but was listening again because he loved the sound of her voice, made Nat blush. She then realised she'd been rambling on about the trip to Italy.

 "I have been to Italy," he said. "It's a deliciously decadent country. I wouldn't mind going again one day."

 She smiled. "Same for me. There is so much more to see, things that have been there for centuries." She loved the feeling of his cool hand on hers and turned it so he could stroke her palm. "Have you ever been to Japan?"

 Loki shook his head and ran his middle finger delicately along her wrist. "Oddly enough, no. Neither my travels nor my business has ever led me there. I have heard it is a rich, lush country." He groaned, and Nat furrowed her brow as he pressed his free hand to his head. "Sorry...headache." His expression was filled with annoyance as he rubbed his temple with his thumb.

 "Can I offer you something to help? Do you need more water instead of wine?" She stood quickly to fetch a tall glass of cold water then returned. "You look so pale. Is it...dinner? Oh, God, was the chicken not cooked well enough?"

 He accepted the glass of water and drank it down like he was attempting to quench a thirst, but the water just wasn't enough. He placed the empty glass down. "Dinner has been delicious. I just...have been so busy these few days, I haven't had time to...take my vitamins."

 "Ah, you have to take care of yourself, Loki. I don't want you to end up being my patient, although I could keep a closer eye on you." Natalia regretted that immediately, feeling like a stalker. "I'm...sorry, that was a bit intense."

 He simply smiled at her with a sly grin, but with tired eyes. “It's nice that you care so...intensely." He held the glass up to her. "May I have more water, and perhaps...dessert? Maybe the sugar could help, but think I should retire early."

 She nodded and got him more water, bringing back dessert, a chocolate pie with vanilla whipped cream and a coulis on the side, in case he didn't like it. "It's okay if you need to go early. I get all the sleep I can, so should you."

 He agreed as she served him the pie. He hummed as he stole an extra helping of the whipped cream and gave her a cheeky grin. She laughed and they both ate the gooey pie, savouring each bite. He complimented her on her baking skills.

 She licked her lip to get some of the whipped cream off. "Thank you. It's something I enjoy greatly. It relaxes me, but usually, I have to bring anything I bake to work so I won't eat it all myself. My co-workers both love and hate me for it.” She smiled. “But now that I know you like it, too, I can tiptoe up on your porch and leave some there and escape like a thief in the night." She took a huge mouthful of whipped cream and tried not to laugh so she wouldn't make a mess.

 He laughed, and they continued to eat. Wiping his mouth with the napkin, he looked even paler. "Darling, thank you so much for the wonderful dinner, but I'm afraid I must go. I am feeling rather out of sorts."

 "It's alright." She stood, putting her napkin down, and accompanied him to the door. "Thank you for coming, I had a lovely time. And... you know...if you want to do this again, let me know."

 He turned at the door before exiting and smiled warmly at her. He lifted a hand and cupped her cheek. "Thank you, Natalia. I will do that."

 She looked up since he was much taller than her and saw a hunger in his eyes, making her hope he'd kiss her suddenly, but of course, if he wasn’t feeling well...

 They lingered for what seemed like long moments before he leaned in, his eyes closing, and his lips brushed against hers. Her eyes fluttered and she pressed her lips to his and they kissed, softly at first. But then this hunger and desire came over her and she deepened it, putting her hand on his chest, making a soft humming sound.

 He pressed forwards with the kiss after that, licking his tongue across her lips and she opened her mouth for him. He pressed inside and breathed her in. He made a soft sighing sound. Natalia's hand ran up his chest to his shoulder, gripping it lightly, her tongue dancing with his. She pressed herself against him, getting lost in a kiss for the first time in a long time. The kiss became deeper, tongues swirling, teeth nearly clacking together. Loki's grip on her face lowered to wrap around her waist, pulling her closer. He hummed. Nat wasn't sure she'd be able to say no if he closed the door with his foot and pushed her back inside.

 Suddenly, she pulled back with a hiss as there was a sharp pain. She brought her hand to her lips and found blood there. Running her tongue over it, she smiled shyly. "I think I went a little...rough..." She was shocked to see Loki look even paler, his eyes wide.

 He had a drop of her blood on his lips and she saw his tongue about to dart out to lap it up, but instead, he wiped it away with the back of his hand quickly. "I...I..."

 Thinking he was going to apologise for her exuberance, she smiled. "It's okay, it was my fault. And it's only a tiny cut."

 He shook his head. His pupils were constricted, his breath harsh. "I... I have to go!" He turned abruptly and practically ran from her house.

 Natalia grabbed the door, crying out, “Loki! It’s okay, I’m fine!” But he didn’t turn around, making her feel like a jerk. She closed the door, saddened by the turn of events.

 Her tongue kept going to her split lip as she picked up remains of dinner, then she soaked in a bath. In there, she kept thinking to herself how wonderful the night had been, only to end that way. She cursed her actions. _Maybe it was too much too fast?_ She hoped to see him again but was even less certain now.

 As she prepared for bed, her cellphone and beeper rang both at the same time. Only the hospital would call this late and on both devices. She answered quickly and was called in for an emergency; a car pile-up on the highway had happened after the roads had become icy and she was needed in reinforcement. She hurried to get to the hospital whilst still being careful, to help her colleagues.

 At the hospital, it was a nightmare, but thankfully, there was only a few critically injured patients, one near death, but they managed to stabilise her and then move onto the others who had been brought in with less life-threatening injuries.

 As the mayhem died down, the nurse helping Natalia asked how her 'date' had gone. Nat explained how it had been perfect, and how they kissed. The nurse oooh'd until Nat explained about the cut on her lip and Loki running off.

 "What did you even cut your lip on?" the nurse asked. Nat shrugged. "Oh well," the nurse said as they finished bandaging up the lady's head. "Maybe he just can't stand the sight of blood?"

 "Mayb..."

 A nurse came running, shouting for help. “Doctor Vasileva, we’ve got another one of those guys who has been drained!” Natalia and the nurse hurried to the entrance of the hospital.

 The patient was lying on the ground, so pale, more than she'd ever seen anyone, save for Loki earlier. The doctor knelt at the man’s side and moved to take his pulse, seeing two puncture wounds on his neck. But just as she narrowed her eyes to take a closer look, the wounds faded from sight. After a moment of disbelief and wondering if maybe she was overtired and imagining things, a long shiver ran through her and she lifted her head to look around for the source of her disquiet.

 On the other side of the street, Loki was standing at the mouth of an alleyway, his eyes so obvious even from this side of the street. She gasped, wondering what he was doing there. She caught his gaze. He looked so powerful and ominous, dark even. He was dressed fully in black, a long coat reaching his ankles. When he saw her looking at him, his eyes widened, and he pulled up his collar, fleeing from the scene.

 Natalia wanted to go after him, shout his name, but she didn't have time; her patient came first. She took the man’s hand and felt for his pulse. It was faint, but there. Two orderlies rushed with a gurney and rolled the man inside once he was settled on it.

 The doctor couldn't help but wonder if Loki had something to do with this. _Was it attempted murder? Or did he try to save his life? And what the hell were those puncture wounds? Did I even SEE puncture wounds??_ So many questions tumbled in her mind as she worked fast and precisely to help her patient. Bags of blood were brought to stabilise him, and Natalia remained by his side until his vitals were satisfying.

 As she filled the patient's file, she wondered how to broach the subject with Loki. As the night went on, she kept trying to find a way.


	4. Chapter 4

It was incredibly late when Natalia left for home and she considered knocking on Loki's door. Seeing what time it was, she decided to leave it for the night and try him in the morning. She went to bed, falling deeply asleep, a mixture of erotic and scary dreams filling her slumber. He was always there, either watching her touch herself or touching her himself, bringing her to resounding orgasms time after time.

 In the late morning, she awoke, still tired from her night and work and her sexy dreams. Dressing warmly, she went over to Loki's house. Knocking on the door, she waited for him to answer. Only, he didn't answer. She wasn't sure if he was home. _He might have gone to his business office._ She glanced up at the different windows but saw no lights on.

 With a sigh, she made her way to the hospital, her mind still with Loki. Her nurse friend came to ask a bit more details about her dinner with Loki and the following kiss. Once again, Natalia went over it, mentioning how thrilling it was, minus the blood thing this time, avoiding the nick on her lip.

 Once in her overcoat, she checked in on last night's patient. He was better, awake, but still weak. He'd needed many bags of blood to fully stabilise him, but his vitals were much stronger.

 As she signed his chart, she suddenly remembered a journal her grandmother had left her, telling old tales of the motherland journal which was passed down through the women of the family. In the back of her mind, Natalia thought she had read something about severe blood loss. She wondered where that book was and told herself she’d look for it once she was home.

 The day passed quickly, thankfully. Natalia could feel the previous late night in her bones. Heading back home, she tried Loki's door again but got no answer. It was still office hours, so she went home, planning to search through boxed in the attic.

 Changing into comfortable clothes, she brewed some tea, then climbed in the dusty attic. _Where is that book?_ she wondered, opening boxes and coughing at the dust as she looked through old memorabilia.

 It took a while for Nat to find the chest her mother had given her with family heirlooms; things from her grandmother and great-grandparents before that. The chest was hidden behind a pile of boxes and a standing mirror. Kneeling before it, she found an old wedding dress perfectly preserved, some jewellery, a matryoshka, and finally, in a large sealed bag, the journals she’d been thinking about.

 She sat in the attic with a throw and began sifting through them. Some were useless, the ink-stained with water drops, or simple daily journals that held no special secret though it was still fun to read the entries. In the oldest ones, she found stories in Russian, which she could read. The stories were myths and legends; one story spoke of a creature and blood loss. Natalia frowned. That was not what she'd hope, but she was curious if it could be.

 It sounded like a Vampyr, nothing that she hadn't read in stories or books, except this wasn't a storybook, this was very real. Wait...this wasn't her Babushka’s journal...this is her great-great-great-great-grandmother's journal! Stunned, Natalia made herself comfortable to read some of the entries.

 They dated back to the beginning of the previous century, then further on. _Ola_ had written stories told by her mother and grandmother about a 'vampyr demon' roaming the countryside and draining men of their blood. No victim had ever been female or child. And after a certain event, a hunt in the countryside, the creature had not been seen again.

 She became lost in the stories, and then a name was mentioned...a lover. _Loki_. She knew it couldn't possibly be the same one. Just a coincidence, of course. _It's not like Loki was a super popular name..._ This got Natalia thinking Loki might be a name passed down in her family like her name was an ancestor's name.

 Dozing off, she fell asleep on the chair, her dreams filled with a bloodthirsty vampire with green eyes, sometimes taking the shape of Loki. Still, her arousal was ever present, the vampire seducing her with his touch and whispers.

 The doorbell woke her up a couple of hours later. She put the journal away from prying eyes and hurried downstairs to answer the door. To her surprise, Loki was standing on her porch. He looked much more hale and had a charming smile on his face. "Natalia, hello,” he said, tipping his head slightly.

 “L-Loki. Hello." She frowned and remembered her dream, hugging herself. "Where were you? I went to your house, tried to call, and couldn't find you. You left so abruptly yesterday...and earlier."

 He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "I must apologise for running off like that. I...very much enjoyed our kiss but, I couldn't… I wasn't feeling very well and had to go get my supplements." He smiled at her but furrowed his brow in confusion. “And...earlier? I don't...I'm not sure what you mean."

 "It’s okay, I understand. But...at the hospital, when I was taking care of that man outside. I saw you and you saw me, I know that. What were you doing there?"

 Loki's nostrils seemed to flare slightly, but other than that, there didn't appear to be any other outward sign that he was agitated. "I think you're mistaken. I got my supplements and went home right after I left you..." He didn't let her argue. "I actually came to ask you to dinner tomorrow night. I found a wonderful meal plan for the tastes of Russia. I thought you might like the foods of your people..."

 Natalia observed him, annoyed that he seemed to be brushing off her questions, then agreed. "That'd be nice. If I don't work over time, I'll finish with the four o'clock shift. I could be at your house around six. Do I bring something?" She thought that she could question him again later since he was obviously hiding something.

 He nodded. "Perhaps you could bring a bottle of wine?" Nat nodded, and he grinned. "Excellent. Very well, I will see you at six." He leaned in and brushed his lips against her cheek. "I look forward to seeing you..." He pulled back and looked her in the eyes before turning and walking off, waving behind him to her.

 The kiss was enough for Natalia to shiver. A simple brush of her skin set it aflame and she crossed her arms over her chest to hide her nipples peaking. She groaned as she closed the door, leaning against it. But she remained focused. "What is he hiding from me? I know I saw him." She sighed and headed back up to the attic, bringing the journal down to her bedroom to read it later. She needed a nap first.

 She read well into the evening and although she was on call, she got no more calls to go into work and slept fitfully, dreaming of a demon trying to get to her, manifesting as Loki in the darkness, green eyes glowing and sharp white teeth piercing her flesh, drinking her blood; at the same time, it was an intensely erotic thing. At no point was she scared of the creature in her dream...

~;~

 

Returning to work in the morning, Natalia tried to question her patient about what had happened to him, how he lost so much blood and even went so far as to describe Loki to him to see if he remembered seeing the dark-haired man, but he couldn't recall.

 He mumbled something about a back alley and how he wasn’t supposed to be there, but talking for too long made him tired so the doctor stopped questioning him. The important thing was that he was getting better.

 Natalia's shift went smoothly after that, the usual amount of patients coming and going. She still made the call she wanted to make to inquire to other hospitals about such patients with blood loss. It happened occasionally all over the county, on a regular pattern, but no one had ever died. And it was always a massive blood loss that was diagnosed. _Maybe there is a vampire, but...he's not killing his victims...why? I mean, all the books say they kill or turn their food...unless…_ Her imagination ran wild, thinking all the men who had been admitted to the hospital may one day rise as an undead army! _Don't be stupid! They aren't dead!!_

 She sighed as she headed home, weary from her day and so much thinking. She knew she might never get to the bottom of the blood loss event. Best to simply treat the victims until there was a clue.

 As she showered and washed her hair, Nat decided to leave her ideas at home to make the most of her night with Loki. _He might have absolutely nothing to do with this and he’s a great man._ It pleased her that he made an effort to make a Russian meal and she wondered what he'd cooked. Finishing her shower, she dried and braided her brown hair, then left for the liquor shop, bringing two different wines that paired nicely with Russian food.

 It was six o'clock on the dot when she rang his doorbell. It wasn't long that she had to wait for him to open the door.

 Loki smiled brightly at her. "Natalia, welcome!" He leaned in to kiss her cheeks. He ushered her in. "You look radiant," he complimented her taking in her appearance.

 "Thank you!" She smiled and kissed his cool cheeks back. "It's just an old kit I don't get to wear much with the work I do." She showed him the wine she bought when he invited her in. "Are those alright? I wasn't sure what you were cooking."

 He took the two bottles from her and smiled. "Yes, these will be perfect! Come, let's set you up with a glass before dinner. I have a few things to finish off but we can eat quite soon."

 Nat followed him into the kitchen where whatever he was making smelled fabulous. She asked, "How was your day? Made any great sales?"

 He went to the stove to check on a bubbling pot and some pastry looking things in the oven. He then pulled out a tray of kebabs and turned them. He chuckled. "I am not a salesman, but I hear that a large order came in the other day and was being finalised. But, all in all, the day was good." He got a corkscrew and opened one of the bottles.

 She noticed he only poured one glass as he appeared to already have a glass of dark liquid. "Oh, I know you're not a salesman per se but such a big company, orders would be interesting, yeah?" Loki nodded as he sipped his drink. Natalia gave him a sad smile. "You should've told me if you didn't like the wine I brought. I can go pick up something else."

 Loki licked his lips and shook his head. "It's alright. I'll have some of yours with dinner. This was just what I had left of an old bottle and started it before you arrived."

 Nat cheered up right then. "Ah, okay. It looks really dark, so I'm guessing it's older? Though it's a deep shade of red. Can I have a taste?"

 Finishing his glass, he looked at her sheepishly. "Sorry. None left." He pointed to her glass. "Let that breathe for a moment. It will become more flavoursome." He put his glass in the sink. "Would you like to take a seat in the dining room? Dinner is nearly ready. I won't be a moment."

 

"Okay." She moved to the dining room, admiring the artwork on the walls again. One drew her in, as she saw Moscow in the old days. "This one is beautiful. I wonder who the artist is," she asked herself out loud. She sat where she'd sat during the last dinner, enjoying the music he'd put on, and the subdued lighting. Nat wondered if he was trying to make up for leaving so quickly last time and maybe was trying to seduce her. _Could be working_ , she thought, smiling.

 It wasn't long before Loki came out wheeling a large serving trolley along. He smiled at her and begin lifting the lids off of things. "Tadah! We have lots of different things!" He began pointing out the dishes. "We have here in this bowl a delicious _borscht_ to start with. I have the soured cream on the side here if you would like to add some. Over here you could have some _shashlyik:_ this is lamb, here's chicken, and this is salmon. I have made a range of blinis and _pirozhki_ with various toppings and fillings, and this... _this_...is my favourite: stroganoff."

 Natalia's eyes widened at all the food in front of her. " _Oi_! You made so much! You must've spent all day in front of the stove." She smiled fondly. "Thank you for this. You have no idea what it means. I haven't had a proper Russian meal in forever."

 He smiled and handed her a plate and a bowl. "Feel free to help yourself." He looked at her glass. "Oops, I forgot the wine, hang on..."

 Quickly, Natalia grabbed a _pirozhki._ It was one of the things she loved the most. Anything with potatoes, really, she loved, but this was better, with the taste of Russia.

 Loki returned with his glass, full again and then filled her glass more. He also brought two shot glasses and filled them with vodka. He lifted his shot glass and encouraged her to do the same. He grinned. " _Bóo-deem zda-ró-vye_!" He drank the shot back quickly.

 Natalia repeated after him with a smile and drank up. She shuddered and scrunched her face. It was the real thing, from Russia, and not vodka distilled in America. "Wow, this is...great!" She coughed and took another bite out of the _pirozhki._ "Thank you so much for this!"

 He nodded and poured her another shot, but they didn't knock this back yet. He sipped his wine and began dishing up a little of this and a little of that. "You are more than welcome."

 Filling her plate as well, Natalia ate with appetite, glancing at Loki sideways. "That painting over there, from Moscow, do you know who the artist is? I'd love to see if he has anything else."

 Loki popped a bit of lamb _shashlyik_ in his mouth and chewed. He glanced at the painting Nat was referring to. He nodded. "Yes, I believe it was Igor Razzhivin..."

 “Hmm, I will look if I can find something else of him. It is beautiful. I’m not big into arts but I’d love something that represents Russia. All I have are family heirlooms, but none is artwork.”

 "Maybe one day, I'll take you," Loki said softly as he spooned up some stroganoff.

 She tilted her head to the side, speechless at what he'd just said. _Does he like me that much?_ she wondered. Taking a mouthful of lamb, she moaned as she chewed, then said, "This is the best I've had since my grandmother passed. You're an amazing cook!"

 "Thank you. I've had years of practice," he replied with a wink.

 They continued to eat, chatting about cooking, something they both enjoyed. But Natalia burned to ask him again about the blood loss victim; if he knew anything about it, and why he was there that night. She knew it was him that was by that alley.

 As she finished her wine, she couldn’t help it any longer. "What were you doing in that alley, Loki? I know it was you."

 Loki sipped his wine and looked at her in the eyes. "What alley?"

 She frowned. "Come on… I saw you. After that man was found by the hospital, half his blood drained, I saw you in the alley opposite the entrance."

 Loki looked at her for a good few moments, as if contemplating, but she knew she had him to rights. "Alright…” he answered finally. “I was going to get my supplements and I came across him.” He sighed. “I took him to the hospital as fast as I could. I...don't like hospitals, so I didn't want to go in."

 It sounded plausible. Nat paused for a moment, looking at him. She could understand; most people didn't like hospitals much. "Then why did you run away? You could've told me that then."

 He smiled. "I knew you would have your hands full taking care of the patient. I didn't want to be a distraction." He leaned over and took her hand in his. "Come now, let's forget about that and have a wonderful meal. I have some sweet things, too, for dessert and I have built a fire in the lounge. We can sit in front of it and chat."

 Against her better judgment, she stopped pushing. "You had me at sweets. Did you make a Charlotte?" She hoped he knew what it was, her favorite Russian chocolate sponge cake.

 "Uhm, no,” Loki replied apologetically. “I made _Ptichye Moloko_ and some Prague cake." He leaned in conspiratorially. "I added _lots_ of brandy to that Prague cake..."

 "Sooo...you're trying to get me drunk?" She leaned in as well, winking. "Let's have it, then!" Natalia grinned and piled up her plate and utensils before he picked them up. "I'll see if you'd fall in Babushka's good graces."

 He laughed, and they took the tray into the kitchen and put the things away and dishes in the dishwasher. It was oddly domestic for Natalia but she actually enjoyed that. Living alone wasn’t always as fun as it seemed to be.

 Loki gave her two plates and took the cake out of the fridge. He then cut two slices of each and put one of each on each plate. He handed her a cake fork. "Come, let’s eat this by the fire."

 She followed him to the living room where a fire was burning slowly. She made herself comfortable sitting on the rug before the couch on the rug and took a bite. Her eyes fluttered. "Oh, my...gooood!" She took another, moaning.

 The man grinned. "I'll take that as I made it well. Is there too much rum? I love it like that." He took a sip of his wine.

 “It’s fine, don’t worry. The cake is so good. Really, cheers to the cook." She raised her own wine to clink glasses with him. "Absolutely fabulous dinner."

 They each sipped their drinks and finished the dessert. When Nat was almost licking the plate, Loki took it from her with a gentle smile. He then shuffled closer to her and took her hands. "Natalia, there is something I need to tell you."


	5. Chapter 5

"Tell me?" She frowned. “What is it?" Shifting to lean back against the couch, she tilted her head to the side as she studied his suddenly closed off face.

He smiled at her. "I am not quite sure how to say this without sounding crass, so I do hope you will not think badly of me..." He seemed to be waiting for her to acknowledge that she wouldn't storm out.

She gave a nervous laugh. "You're just teasing me and making me wait to reveal this big secret. But Loki, I'm a doctor. I've heard so many weird things, I don't think whatever you have to say can scare me off. Unless you're telling me you're a maniac looking to kill young doctors."

Loki chuckled and shook his head. "No, nothing like that." He shuffled even closer on the rug and cupped her cheek. "I have thought about our kiss ever since it happened. It has haunted me in the night. I have had some... _very_ impure thoughts about you...about kissing you more, letting it lead to...sex." He looked at her with dark eyes. "If you let me kiss you again, I'm afraid I might not be satisfied with just that..."

Her breath shuddered as her eyes closed. Natalia didn't have to think much. She wanted the same thing Loki did. His hand on her cheek was cool, helping cool down the heat from her body; her core as well. She lifted her head to his height and pressed her lips to his, humming softly. She could feel his surprise, his body stiffening. Her blatant answer to his unspoken question was without doubt. Loki relaxed and deepened the kiss, bringing his other hand up to her face. He pulled himself closer and their tongues danced together.

Nat pressed herself against him without even noticing she was, her hand coming to brace on his chest. Their lips massaged each other’s slowly. A long shiver of desire ran through her but she had to pull back to breathe, smiling, her cheeks red.

He smiled at her. Without another word, consent implied, he began to undress. "Please tell me to stop at any time… It will be hard, but I will respect your wishes..."

She pulled back from him with a large smile. "Please...be my guest. I've been...wondering what you look like." She began to unbutton her blouse after letting her brown hair out of the braid.

He smiled more widely. "You've been thinking about me, too?" He removed his shirt revealing pale, hairless, well-toned pecs and arms and flat stomach.

Nat felt she would love to lick vodka from it, even suck it out of his belly button. "Probably more than I should, seeing what I do for a living." Shedding her blouse, she moved forward to kiss him again and press him back into the pillows, her hands roaming his chest and toned abdomen. She bunched her skirt a little so she could straddle him.

He bit his lip and placed his hands on her waist above the skirt band. Swallowing hard, he looked at her breasts contained in the bra. "I hope you haven't accidentally given anyone the wrong medication. I would hate to have been _that_ much of a distraction." He smiled and looked from her fleshy globes up to her eyes. His hands rose up. "May I?"

She watched his hands come up, holding her breath. She'd dreamed about that, his hands, his long fingers, on her, in her. She nodded, breathing heavily.

He took a deep breath as he curled his fingers around her breasts through the bra. He then kneaded them gently. "Perfect..." he murmured.

"I always thought they were...too big. I was made fun of in school," she whispered. But his touch was so good and she dug her fingers into his skin lightly as he kneaded gently. "You can...go harder..."

He looked up at her and Nat thought she noticed a green glow or maybe it was just the firelight reflected in his eyes. Either way, it didn't distract from the fact that Loki gripped her more firmly. She could feel the bulge in his dress pants.

Lowering herself against him, she rolled her hips to rub against Loki, leaning down to kiss him. He felt hard under her clothed core and his hands using just the right amount of force. She wanted more than this, skin to skin. Reaching back, she unclasped her bra to let him see her breasts. She was aroused to see a type of hungry lust in his eyes. Since she’d first met him, she had felt there was something between them. Her dreams of him spoke of monsters, or beasts, Loki always being an animal but never hurting her. Remembering such dreams made her moan into the kiss.

Loki cupped her bare breasts and flicked his thumbs over her taut buds. She gasped against his lips, arching to have him kiss her neck as well, while her core rubbed his cock. She wondered if he could feel her heat.

For some reason, he only grazed his lips down her throat and then went back up to her jaw and lips. His hands travelled from her breasts to her hips and he ground up against her. "We're wearing...too many...clothes..." he panted.

She nodded, nearly breathless, and lifted from him. Her skirt went straight to the floor when she pushed it down, and she nearly attacked the button of his pants. He chuckled at her exuberance and she grinned at him as she continued to pull the button apart, then unzipped him. She was surprised, but not at the same time to find him not wearing any underwear; his cock jumped free of its confines.

Natalia blinked at the size. It wasn't enormous but bigger than she thought. She licked her lips, then looked up. "C-Can I?" Not waiting for his answer, she sank to her knees, her hands going down along his sides. Glancing up, she took a lick under his shaft.

Loki groaned with pleasure and leaned his head back on the fur rug. He licked his lips, all of which was highly erotic to Nat. "Natalia..." he moaned and it was straight out of her dreams.

She shivered when he moaned, feeling her core pulsing. But she didn't stop, her tongue twirling around the head. She finally took it into her mouth and bobbed shallowly, her hands pulling on his trousers to take them off.

He aided her endeavour and soon, he was naked, and by all the gods, he was such a magnificent specimen! Pale skin, glowing in the firelight, dark hair fanned out around his head… Nat was mesmerised momentarily but then continued to suck him.

He bucked into her mouth gently. "Fuck, Natalia..." She didn't think she'd heard the word from his mouth, and even that seared through her loins. Such a vulgar word from his mouth was funny in a way, seeing how he was always such a gentleman.

Slowly, she got used to his girth and went deeper, swallowing around him. She couldn't wait to feel him inside her but knew she'd need some preparation, so snaked a hand between her legs, moving the fabric covering her core aside as she continued sucking.

Loki's hands fisted into the rug and he made the most amazing soft grunting sounds. Natalia was sure this must be another of her dreams. _It this real?_ she wondered. His voice confirmed it wasn’t.

"Natalia...my darling Natalia… Ohhhh...please...I need to feel you around me..." His breath was sharp, his voice strained.

Her finger flicking her clit, she slowly lifted off of him, gently grazing her teeth on his shaft. Standing by his side, she slowly wiggled out of her knickers as the firelight made her skin glistened. She sat by him, unsure how he wanted it. To calm her uncertainty, she leaned in to kiss him, taking his hand to put on her hot core.

He didn't need much prompting, seemingly knowing what she wanted. His long fingers grazed her cunt gently, moisture wetting them, then used a fingertip to circle around her clit, making her breath hitch. "Tell me what you want," he whispered against her lips.

She moaned, her hand on his wrist. "P-Prepare me a bit… It's been a long time. I don't date much." ‘At all’ would've been truer, since she hadn't gone on a date since splitting up from her fiancé nearly two years before. "I might be...a bit a tight." She looked into his eyes as she said that, seeing the hunger in them.

His eyes were so dark, the firelight flickered in them and again she thought there was an ethereal glow to them, but put it out of her mind as soon as he pressed a finger into her. Her eyes fluttered and she gasped, her nipples peaking. She moved against his finger, biting her lip. "So much better when it's not me doing this."

His hum of approval accompanied a second finger slipping in and then he used them to fuck her gently. His thumb continued to circle her clit.

"Fu… oh, God, yes!" Her head fell back as she began feeling the familiar tug of an orgasm. "I...don't want to come too fast. I want you inside me," she managed to say when she teetered on the edge.

He smiled at her. "How do you want it?"

She smiled back, almost laughing. "Uhm… I feel like I need to explain to you like a teenager. I want you where your fingers a...AH!" Natalia gasped with one more flick, almost tipping over.

The man laughed indulgently. "I meant...in what position?"

"Oh!" She panted, almost unable to answer any further. "I...I want to see you...on my back...on my...oh, fuck, please!" His fingers went deep, teasing her flesh.

He curled his digits in just the right manner that left her breathless and he grinned. He removed them from her and she whined at the loss, then gasped when he flipped her on her back. Hovering over her, his hair unruly hung down from him like a curtain. Her hands came to rest on his shoulders at first, then ran down his biceps while she spread her legs for him. "I might come really quickly," she whispered with a blush on her cheeks. "You tease me..."

He smiled and then kissed her. "If you come, I will consider my job done satisfactorily...but it won't be the end of it." He positioned himself over her and lowered himself, but didn't enter her yet. He pressed his weight down on her, not entirely, but just enough to give her an idea of his presence.

Natalia had always loved feeling the weight of a lover over her and was pleased Loki did it without her asking. One of her hands came up to cup his cheek while she kissed him, the other resting right above his buttocks. "I want you so much...so much. I've dreamed about this," she admitted freely.

Bringing his mouth to her ear, he panted as he simply rested on her, gently undulating. She could feel his length in the crook between her core and her thigh. "I have too...for so very long..." he murmured.

Tilting her head to the side, she offered her neck to him, gripping his buttocks. "Don't...don't make us wait any longer." Her hand ran through his hair, taking in his scent.

Loki's lips ghosted down her neck and she heard a deep growl coming from him. He kissed her jugular, the tip of his tongue tasting her before his lips touched her flesh. She shivered.

Suddenly, Loki lifted himself and she gasped, seeing him looking determined. He surged forwards, kissing her and at the same time, he lined his cock up. He didn't wait. He pushed in deep as he could. Taking a deep breath in, Natalia remained still while he stretched her. She was thankful he'd prepared her before, his cock thick inside her. She moaned when he was seated, trembling in pleasure beneath him.

Finding his lips, she kissed him deeply, her leg coming up to his hip. "Loki...yes...move,” she begged him, her pelvis lifting.

Loki was buried so deep inside her that when he pulled back slowly, she could feel him. So thick, so long… He then pushed back into her and she moaned. He grunted and sped up slightly. "Natalia... _Moy svet, moy lyubovnik..._ "

She could recognised the language but it was fuzzy. "Loki...I… Oh God." She moved her hips with his, wondering what he'd said. Her nails on his buttocks dug a little more when she lifted her other leg to his hip.

They moved together in sync, like waves of an ocean crashing together, mingling. They kissed, he moved inside of her, she clutched at him. She felt right in his arms like he was meant to be there like he should always have been there...like he always _had_ been there before. The familiarity was astounding and she felt like he was her everything.

For a second, she wondered if he felt the connection but pushed the thought away, wanting to be _in_ the moment. His chest on her breasts, he rubbed her nipples as he moved, sending chills down her spine.

Her orgasm grew quickly again but Nat fought it, wanting him to be close to his before she climaxed. Every vein and ridge of his cock rubbed her right, making her gasp every time he pushed in.

His hips began to stutter and Natalia felt like they were in the final sprint. His cock throbbed deep inside her and she knew he was as close as she was.

Loki’s voice rose in the night. "Natalia...please...come for me!"

"That's...all I want." She smiled at him, panting and tilting her hips just a bit to make him bottom out while she kissed him. The subtle move sent her over the edge. She arched up a bit, leaving his mouth only to scream his name when she crested, coming hard around his cock. She clenched, moaning over and over as he kept moving inside her.

It didn't take long. Loki buried his face in her neck and thrust hard until he exploded inside of her, moaning loudly against her flesh and spurted jet after jet of white sticky fluid inside her, painting her insides white.

Natalia wrapped her arms around him, trembling with pleasure. They panted, her shaking turning into shivering. She moaned into his neck, nuzzling his hair. "Perfect," she murmured, "just like I thought."

He panted harshly against her, their sweat-slicked bodies cooling, though the fire was high. He chuckled softly. "High praise. But I feel the same way."

She smiled, her eyes lidded, and kissed him languidly when he turned to look at her. She never wanted this moment to end. "What did you tell me in Russian? I’m a bit fuzzy with it."

He lifted up and pulled out of her, flopping onto his side, pulling her closer to him for warmth. "I called you my light and my lover." He looked at her and smiled. "Is that alright?"

She beamed with happiness when he said that, feeling like she'd heard it before. Snuggling against him, she reached for the throw on the couch to cover them. "I get cold after I...come." His smile made her blush so she buried her face in his neck.

Stroking her hair, he sighed while she said, "You know...I...want to say something but I wonder if it's too fast."

Before she could continue, a phone went off nearby somewhere. Loki frowned, glancing at the clock above the mantel. It was late. "I...had better take it. Not many people would call this late..." He sat up and smiled at her, reaching for the phone in his trouser pocket. "I won't be long, and I will bring back a cloth to help clean us up." He gave her a quick kiss and, stark naked, answered the phone and walked from the room.

Lying back, Natalia felt the smile wide on her face, her body aching deliciously. Unused muscles tended to hurt after such a workout. She turned to her side, watching the flames dance, telling herself she wanted to run her fingers along Loki's back muscles when he returned. She smiled as she remembered how right she felt with him, the play of his muscles as he thrust in and out of her. She could hear the low drone of his voice as he spoke in the other room, though she couldn't hear what he was saying. _I hope he doesn’t have to leave...or that my beeper doesn’t go off._

Thirsty after such exercise, Nat rolled over to the coffee table and reached for her wine glass. She sat up to sip but as soon as the liquid hit her tongue, she knew it wasn't wine. It was thick and warm, metallic. Coughing, she wiped her mouth then saw it looked like blood. Her eyes widened, and the glass fell from her nerveless fingers when she realised.

 _Oh, my GOD! It_ is _blood!_


	6. Chapter 6

She grabbed the napkin from dinner and spit in it, retching and heaving. She shuddered in horror, wondering if Loki had been drinking blood every time they had dinner at his house.

  _What the actual fuck?? Why is he drinking blood? Where does he get it from? Oh my god, is he a killer? Is it human blood???_

 Her heart suddenly racing, her mind was a jumble of ideas about killers and then vampires and, fearing for her safety, she stood and began gathering her clothes to leave, remembering his lips on her neck. _Maybe he’s a Vampire Wannabe… Would he have hurt me?_ Nat never thought he could before, but everything was so uncertain now.

 Fearful, she hurried to put on her skirt foregoing trying to find her panties, but Loki came back in the den, smiling and put the phone on the mantle.

 "Sorry about that..." He stopped when he saw her getting dressed and a look of confusion fell over his face. "Natalia, what… what are you doing?"

 She looked at him, eyes wide, all loving thoughts gone. She struggled with the buttons of her blouse, her fingers shaking but this time, in fear. "You...you..." She pointed to the wine glasses. "You drink blood!"

 At the word 'blood' she could see Loki's face fall. He glanced in the direction of the wine glass that was tipped over, the red liquid seeping into the rug. "Shit," he cursed as she finished getting dressed.

 When he didn’t deny it, her fear multiplied. She panted, grabbing her shoes to hurry towards the door. "You're the one that injured my patient!” she blurted out. “I knew I should've listened to my instincts that night!" Her voice had gone higher, the metal taste in her mouth making her nauseous. She bolted for the door to get away from him.

 "Natalia, please wait!" He grabbed his trousers and hopped into them as she left the room. "Natalia!"

 But she didn't wait, ignoring him. She opened the heavy door, not caring it was too cold to run home barefoot.

 Loki's long strides meant he caught up to her very quickly. He grabbed her arm and hauled her back when she stepped on the porch. "Natalia, please! Let me explain!"

 She struggled against his grip and he closed the door, putting himself between her and it. "You tricked me! To what goal? You want to...hurt me? Bite me? Suck me nearly dry like that man?"

 "Please...give me a chance..."

 She was panicked, she knew that, and she tried to pull from his grip. "A chance to what? What could you possibly have to say that would change what just happened. You dined, wined, and fucked me. What was the next plan? Kill me in my sleep to drink my blood?"

 "No, please, Natalia, you've got it all wrong. I'm not...I'm not like that..."

 "Then, _how_ are you? _Who_ are you, is what I should ask. Some serial killer getting off on blood? Were you a goth as a kid and took it too far? A blood worshipper? Loki, there was actual blood in that glass, I tasted it!" She tried again to break free from his grip, sorrow filling her. She'd finally found someone only to have the rug swept from under her feet.

 When she struggled again, he let go of her and held his hands up to hopefully stop her from trying to leave again. "Alright, alright." He noticed that she was barefoot, shivering as she stood on the cold hard marble flooring. "Natalia, let me… Please come and sit down by the fire and I'll explain everything, and I assure you that you are not in any danger, I promise!" His eyes were pleading. "Please," he whispered.

 The look in his eyes shook something within her but Natalia still feared him. “Don't touch me again and stay back.” She shivered in cold, not taking her eyes off him as they walked to the living room. “Talk. You have two minutes.”

 He sat in a chair opposite her and groaned at the fact she was counting down. "I think you have already figured it out. I… am… a Vampire."

 "Those don't exist." She then remembered the marks on her patient's neck which had vanished from her sight and she was less sure of her statement. "What...why? What..." She stammered, trying to process. "Vampires are the figment of storytellers...imaginations.”

 Loki shook his head. "All mythology, folklore, and mystery, comes from some sort of reality. Stories are twisted, contorted, glamorised. I am not the only Vampire out there, but, you should know that we are very different from that which Bram Stoker and Hollywood. For starters, I am not undead. I have a beating heart, you heard it, you must have when you put your head on my chest. I live and breathe; I need to eat food and I _enjoy_ food. I am not immortal but simply... _very_ long-lived. I require red blood to sustain my life. And to get that blood, I do not kill...intentionally."

 The last word shook her. "So you've killed before? How many?" Natalia wrapped the blanket tighter around her body as if protecting herself. "Why has no one ever noticed? Did you...seduce me to drink from me?" She had so many questions, knowing full well the two minutes were over.

 He shook his head immediately. "No, no, not at all. You're...wait, I need to answer your other questions first. I have killed before..." Her eyes widened and he was quick to continue. "...but _only_ because I couldn't understand what was happening to me!"

 He quickly explained how he didn't remember his previous life; one day waking up so thirsty that nothing could satiate, how he could hear the heartbeat of an animal, and how he'd, desperate, killed smaller animals to try and get rid of the insatiable thirst. "But, as I found, only human blood can sustain me. At first, I drank someone dry, killed him. I didn't mean to, but I was so thirsty! It took...too many times to understand when I could stop before killing them but, of course, back hundreds of years ago, there were no transfusions, healing was...a joke by comparison to today. Now… I drain a man just enough before he loses too much, and I make sure they are found near a hospital to be healed. I promise you, Natalia, I am not...I don't..." He sighed. "I wanted to tell you. You of all people..."

 "Wait a minute..." She swallowed hard. "H-Hundreds of years ago?" Her eyes widened again while she clutched the throw. Her breath was short as she awaited an answer.

 He nodded and looked at her. "I am hundreds of years old. My family business… I have been the owner since I started it way back, perpetrating as several...generations of my family. In fact, they have all been me."

 "Oh..." There was a general sensation of disappointment inside Natalia for having been lied to but she understood the secrecy. Still, this was all too surreal, and she was fighting herself and the way she was still attracted to him. "I… appreciate your honesty. Why did you latch to me if not to drain me dry?"

 He smiled. It looked to be one of long distant memory coming to the surface. "From the moment I saw you, you captivated me." He seemed to think of something. "Please, Natalia, trust me, if you can. I must show you something."

 "We're a long way from me trusting you again but...I can bear with you for a bit longer." She rubbed her toes to keep them warm. "Pass me my shoes first."

 Loki quickly handed her the shoes, looking hopeful that she wouldn’t bolt, but for some reason, she was intrigued. Surely if he was going to kill her, or drink her blood, he would have done it by now? _Maybe he is telling the truth_ , she thought. She put the shoes on, then her feet on the floor, keeping the throw around her shoulders. "What do you want to show me?"

 He stood and held a hand out for her. He was clearly disappointed when she stood by herself and held her hands closer to her body. "Follow me." He grabbed his shirt and shrugged it on and led the way out of the lounge, through the dining room and into the library. There were heavy drapes over what she had assumed were large windows. He went over to them, then he pulled them back, the sight astonished her to speechlessness.

 " _This_ is my first love,” Loki murmured, looking at the painting, “and the reason I felt an instant connection with you.”

 Natalia blinked repeatedly at the painting. "But that's...me!" She looked at him, then the painting again. "I don't understand. I've never posed… I've never met you. Or have I?"

 He smiled indulgently at her. “Of course, this isn't you. She must be… Well, she could be your great, great, great, great...great, great-grandmother,” Loki said, counting with his index in the air. “Some distant ancestor of yours. When I first saw you, I felt like I was seeing her again."

 "Who is she? What was her name?" Natalia tried to remember her family tree, the one she'd worked on in high school, but it was too long ago. "Have you been… tracking my family?"

 He shrugged. "In a manner of speaking, yes. I had an interest in ensuring that your family was safe. I… loved her. So very much." He ran a hand over the delicate paintwork. "Her name was Natasha Bromovichski."

 She recognized the family name but not the first name. It was probably someone she hadn’t found during her research. "Natasha..." She walked forward and followed the painting's face with her fingers. "She could be my twin..." Turning to Loki, she asked, "So… you kept an eye on us...to what purpose? Are we linked?"

 He looked at her. "I've been alive a long time and I don't know if I truly believe in… reincarnation. But you look just like her and as I've gotten to know you, I feel like we are linked. Those dreams you had...I was dreaming them too. Our minds intertwined." He looked back at the painting with a wistful smile. "Sometimes love can transcend time..."

 "My dreams? Y-You know the dreams I had of you? Of us?" She blushed crimson, hiding her face in the throw. Then, she realised what he'd said. _He loves me.... it's too quick! But...I feel the same way…_ “And I don't even know what you want from me. Is it just my blood?"

 He sighed and closed the curtains again, hiding his most prized possession. "Not your blood as such, but your...companionship. There is a reason you look exactly like her… I have been patient. Oh, so patient." He turned to her. "You see… Natasha was my first love after I turned. She found me, homeless, fearing myself. I had killed many by then. I needed grounding. I wasn't on a rampage, I was just thirsty all the time, desperate for answers, but too overpowered by the thirst to try and find out. I just wanted to stop! I knew what I was doing was wrong.”

 “And then, she found me after I had let myself go for too long without a drink of blood, any blood, trying to break myself of the habit. She took me in and I babbled. She learned everything about me. And… she offered herself to me."

 "Offered? As in… fed you?” Nat exclaimed “But if you turned her, how I am here? How did she have descendants?"

 He seemed to note the panic in her voice. "I didn't kill her, and you mean turned her, as in turned her into a vampire? That… I don't know how that even happens. I’ve never found out how I was created and remember nothing before the day I emerged thirsty. It's not like in the books and movies, I told you. Things get contorted." He smiled. "Yes, she fed me. Every day, a little at a time. We fell in love. But we never had children. I could not but she could, and she did. As much as she loved me, I couldn't give her what she wanted."

 “So, she cheated on you? Some love she was..." Natalia snorted, judging her ancestor even if she appreciated what she did for Loki.

 Loki snapped his gaze at her. "She did not cheat on me!" Nat flinched back. "She would never have done that. She loved me, and I loved her! We loved each other so much and she wanted to give me a child. I… let her go through the normal human motions. She married another but had an affair with me. She got pregnant with him and then left him. We raised the child together, but the child was never mine."

 Nodding, Natalia still judged her, though he could see the pain in his eyes. _I would've rather not have children than be with someone else...but that's me._ But then, it hit her.  "Had she not done that, I wouldn't be here, then. She seemed like a lovely woman." She thought she could see tears glistening in his eyes when she looked up.

 The vampire placed a hand on his face. "I know what you're thinking. She cheated on her husband, but we loved each other, and I failed her in the one thing that would have completed us." He looked at her and she _knew_ he was crying. "It was wrong of her. I let her go, but she came back to me. It made me so happy and the child was loved; from that child, other grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, on and on until your grandmother, your mother and then...you."

 Only then did Natalia feel bad. She knew she'd hurt him. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "It's a long time to go without the one you love." She took a step forward and wiped his tears. "What now? What happens? I have a lot more questions..."

 He leaned into her touch and smiled. "I will answer all your questions, I promise."

 She was still nervous but for all the feelings she had for him, she decided to give him a bigger chance, no matter how scared she was. Her hand ran down his arm, then she locked her fingers with his. “Somewhere warmer, maybe?”

 His fingers curled, locking with hers and she smiled at him. He smiled back, nodding. He led her from the library back into the lounge. They sat in front of the fire and he poured her more wine. He picked up his own glass and she made a face. "Would you prefer I don't drink it in front of you?"

 She shook her head, scrunching her nose. "It's fine, I just suddenly remembered the taste." She sipped her wine to chase it away. "So...uhm… You don't remember your prior life? Did you investigate?"

 "Natasha helped me look into my past. But it was almost like I never existed before the moment I emerged. No one claimed me. No one looked for me..." He smiled. He didn't seem to be sad about it. "But I have lived a good life since the day I met her."

 She nodded. "What...have you done to pass time? What did you do with Natasha that made you love her so much?"

 He laughed. "I read. I read a lot. And in the more modern times, I watch shows, television, movies… I flow with the times. I got into everything I could. I played chess, I learned other languages, travelled." He rolled his eyes. "I have had to be a little sneaky though, to be honest. In modern times, it's very hard to renew a passport!" He grinned. "As for why I loved Natasha? Well, she saved me. And she was easy to talk to and, well… perfect." He looked at her. "Much like I find with you."

 Natalia tilted her head to the side. "But we've just barely met. How do you know I'm so perfect? I might be messy and maybe we don't like the same things." She stopped. "That's not true. I'd sleep in that library if I could." She smiled as she looked into the fire. "I've never had a connection with someone like I do with you and I wonder if it's just...fate...or a blood link with Natasha...or just...I don't know."

 Loki sipped his 'wine'...blood. "I believe in fate, or destiny, or whatever other word you'd like to give it. You are _not_ Natasha, I know this, but you look like her, act like her. You help people. Her compassion lives within you. She was a healer too."

 That reassured Natalia. "That's always been within me. From a young age, I carried a toy stethoscope to check on my 'patients', my friends and family. But it stayed with me when college came. I love what I do, which is why it hit me so hard when I realised you'd hurt that man..."

 The vampire at least had the decency to look guilty. "I...I  wish I didn't have to. But I must have human blood to live. Natasha was the only one who’s ever offered it to me. A little a day." He looked at her. "A-And to be fair, I try not to hurt them. I only pick strong healthy men, I subdue them only enough to drink, and leave them enough blood to make a full recovery and always make sure they are in good hands."

 "I figure that now." She ran her index over the vein in his neck. "Do you...feed others? You said there are other Vampires. Do you ever see them?"

 He shivered at her touch and she pulled her hand back, unsure, but she thought it was a pleasurable shiver. Loki shook his head. "I've met a few others. We are mostly peaceful, trying to live our own lives. And I don't need to feed any others. I suppose if I came across a new vampire like I was when I first emerged, I would help them to avoid unnecessary deaths."

 "Maybe they would know how you were made. But that's for you to decide." She swirled the wine in her glass. "Have you...had someone else since Natasha?"

 He smiled. "Do you mean a lover, or do you mean someone I love?"

 "Both."

 He laughed at her reddening cheeks. "Well, I'll be honest, I haven't loved anyone since Natasha. Never felt that connection. As for lovers, yes, I have had many." He looked at her for her a reaction.

 “Well, of course,” she acquiesced, feeling slowly appeased by his answers. “I wouldn’t expect for you to be alone all this time.” She smiled lightly. “But what will you do now? As a doctor, I can’t keep seeing people coming in drained of blood. Perhaps I could...try to bring packets of blood. Would that...be enough?”

 Loki paused as he brought the wine glass to his lips. He stared at her for a few moments and she began to wonder if she'd insulted him. “You’re right...that’s a terrible idea....”

 He interrupted. "You...would do that for me? I mean...I don't _like_ hurting people..." he explained.

 Nat pressed her lips together while she thought. "It’s risky and I’m sure you’ve heard that blood supplies are low… blood drives happen all the time trying to restock for transfusions to save lives. I'd have to find something else more long term. I couldn’t explain unless you wanted Vampires to be outed..."

 Loki sighed. "I doubt that would go down well..."

 "That's what I thought." She brought the wine to her nose to smell it to make sure it really was wine. She sighed after sipping it. "We can think about other ways eventually. But a packet here and there should be okay…”

 He smiled at her, a grateful smile, and laughed lightly. "Really? Thank you!”

 “How many times a week do you need to feed?"

 “Well, when I drain a man, I usually can go a few weeks before I need more. I gorge myself. But a couple of glasses a day sustain me quite well. I could stretch to one glass a day, perhaps even go a couple of days without...but...well, you've seen me after a few days without." He looked at her lips. "I was desperate when you cut your lip on my fangs...I didn't mean for them to protrude like that and that's why I had to leave in a hurry that day."

 She hummed as she remembered him running away after their kiss and his eyes. "So, I think I can manage packs for a while...and...uhm...maybe we can try me once? Not just yet...I'm not...ready. But, I could be an option?" He looked at her with a look she couldn't really determine. Shock? Horror? Disbelief? “It’s just an idea.”

 "You...really might do that for me? Only Natasha ever..."

 "Well...am I not a far away relative of Natasha. Maybe I have a little of her in me." She looked into his eyes, seeing them calm but nervous at the same time. "When I feel ready, I can tell you?"

 With a wordless nod, he put his wine glass down. "May I… I don't want to frighten you, but...may I please kiss you? Hug you?"

 She saw tears forming in his eyes. _Has he truly never been shown this level of kindness since Natasha? Not by anyone?_ Without a word, Natalia put her glass down, unfolded her legs from under her and stood, going over to him, towering over him for a moment. She took a deep breath and sat on his lap, wrapping her arm around his shoulders. "Kiss me," she whispered. She trusted him again, thankful he was truthful with her.

 If she thought he would kiss her hard and fast, she was wrong. Loki looked at her with wonder and misty eyes, then cupped her face. "Thank you," he whispered. "Thank you...thank you..." He got closer and closer to her face with each thanks until he kissed her softly, but deeply. His lips had this coppery taste of the blood, but it didn't seem that bad anymore for Nat. Her other hand came up to his shoulder, which she squeezed gently, giving into the kiss. She hummed as he toyed with her tongue, nipping his lips and licking them. She knew she'd get used to the taste. It was that or leave. And Natalia didn't want to leave. Her fingers went to his neck, gently running along the back of it under his hair.

 He purred at her touch and pulled back, looking into her eyes. "You are...something else, Natalia. I never thought I would find someone like her again, though you’re different than her in many ways." He pressed his forehead to hers.

 She smiled, nipping his nose. "The world changed and evolved over all this time and with all I've seen at work, I'm surprised at myself I was so shocked to find out the truth. I think...what bothered me was that you didn't tell me upfront..." She kissed him to reassure any doubts.

 He chuckled into the kiss. "Of course. 'Hi, Natalia, nice to meet you. I'm a hundreds of years old Vampire and you remind me of my ex… wanna date me'?"

 "Well, yeah, you're so emo and hipster thinking you're a Vampire..." She laughed. "Maybe not but...I don't know, it's different. I guess we'll both learn."

 They both laughed, and he kissed her some more, and with no fear that he would drink her blood, or that she would pick up the wrong wine glass again, she let him take her up to his large bedroom where they made love all night, this time, with nothing to hide from each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be continued


	7. Chapter 7

A few weeks later, after a whirlwind romance that had left Natalia feeling breathless, but also like they had known each other for years thanks to everything Loki opened up to her about, she was waiting to join him for dinner, a movie, and another night of lovemaking. He would finish working soon but in the meantime, she was clearing her attic. She had a feeling they would be taking a new step in their relationship soon and cleaning helped calm her nervousness.

 While she was looking through a box of souvenirs, she found another of her great-grandmother's journal and sat to read. And in there, on a sepia page and black China ink writing, she discovered more. Loki and Natasha as the first lovers of their family. Wanting to share this with him, she brought it downstairs and put it into her bag.

 She changed once he sent her his ‘fifteen-minute warning’ message, and walked up to his place with dessert: an apple pie. She rang the doorbell.

 The large wooden door opened, and he smiled. "Natalia...hello! So nice to see you, it's been so long… since this morning." He grinned at her remembering the sex they had before she had to leave for her shift.

 She took a step forward and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pushing up on her toes to kiss him hard. She smiled. "I have a surprise for you. Well, two."

 "Oh yes? Come in then! N-not that you having surprises for me is the only reason I'm inviting you in, of course."

 Natalia laughed and removed her shoes, then strolled to the kitchen to get a glass of peach fizzy water he kept for her. She always put vitamins in them to eventually prepare herself for him to feed on her. "So, I have this," she said as she pulled out a blood pack from her bag, "and this." The old looking book was put in Loki's hands. "Go where I put a marker and read."

 He went ‘Ooh!’ to the blood pack like a child would a juice box and then looked at the book in his hands. "What's this?" He opened to the page she had marked off and he saw the small picture of Natasha. His eyes lit up. "I… where did you find this?" He looked at the book more closely. "A family journal..."

 She nodded. "I was looking through old boxes and found more journals. But when I took time to really look at it, I saw her." She smiled at her ancestor. "She was really beautiful."

 "Well, you only have to look in a mirror to know that," he said absently, not even looking at her, admiring the picture. When Natalia kept silent, he glanced at her and smiled.

 She blushed and went to put the pie in the oven, so it would warm up while they ate, letting him look through the book. "I have more at home and maybe there's more in there about you two. Without him noticing, she removed her jacket, showing a strapless top. Tonight, she was ready for him to drink from her.

 He was leafing through the book and so didn't immediately see what she was wearing. "This is fascinating..." he mumbled, then glanced up. He did a double take. "I… like that top… Is it new?" His voice trembled, and she felt his eyes on her neck and collar.

 She ignored the shiver in his voice and pulled out plates from the cupboard, then utensils. "I bought it yesterday when I went shopping." She glanced back over her shoulder, glad at the reaction she had on him. "So, pasta puttanesca tonight?" She brushed off a hair from her shoulder, grinning at him.

 Loki nodded, a little dumbstruck, then cleared his throat. He had set up a more intimate dinner setting in the kitchen rather than in the large empty dining room. He guided her to the table and took the pasta from the oven, seeing the pie. He hummed at the sight and smell of it and then brought the food over to begin plating it up.

 They ate slowly as she told him about her day, seeing his eyes going over her bare shoulders and neck more than once. Natalia offered to do the dishes, but he refused, telling her to wait until he brought the pie to the living room. She started a small fire in the fireplace then sat, waiting nervously. Once he was sat, she shuffled closer. "In truth, I have another surprise for you."

 “Three surprises?” He looked at her with such an innocent expression. "And here I have nothing in return for you," he said softly.

 "I am not giving you gifts for something in return. You fill my life with joy and that is enough." She shuffled again to be as close as possible, then tilted her head up. "I'm so in love with you Loki, and… I want to be there for you as much as I can.”

 Loki smiled at her brightly. "I love you too. I have done since the moment I saw you." He leaned in to kiss her hotly, his hand cupping her cheek.

 She melted into the kiss, humming, then pressed a hand on his shoulder. “I can't keep stealing from the hospital because, at this point, colleagues and higher-ups will notice. We have to find another way..." She breathed in deeply. "So tonight...forget the blood pack, save it for another time. I want you to...drink from me."

 Loki’s look was telling. He was surprised. They’d spoken of it, but she’d never felt readier to do it than right now. "Are you sure about that? I mean...I would like nothing more!"

 "I'm sure, Loki. I've been thinking about this for a while now." She breathed in deeply, moving her hair from her neck. She did it slowly. There was something oddly sensual about the whole idea she had in her head.

 He watched her intently and his lips twitched into another smile. She saw his fangs begin to protrude and began to breathe more deeply. She tilted her head and his tongue poked out to wet his lips a little.

 "You...are positive?" he asked one last time.

 She could see he was aching to go ahead. Natalia ran her thumb along his lips when cupping his cheeks. "I am… O positive..." She smiled when he laughed and took his hand to hold while he bit. She was nervous but still wanted this even after feeling a small nick on her thumb from his fang.

 He leaned in to kiss her gently, being careful of the fangs. "Turn around..." he whispered softly. “It’ll be better that way the first time…”

 A shiver ran up her spine and she did as he said. She turned, and he ran his free hand over her neck and the touch was so light. He seemed to hover over a spot and she knew it was her jugular. She felt him lean in and she braced herself.

 His voice rose softly but full of arousal and hunger. "Relax...I promise it will only hurt for a second..."

 Natalia could feel his warm breath ghosting over her skin. She trembled and took a deep breath, closing her eyes to relax. His hand still in hers, she waited for the pain but didn't fear it. Feeling his lips on her, she then heard a low growl from him. She was about to ask if he was okay, but then gasped when he pierced her skin quickly. It was no more painful than a needle puncture, of which she'd had many in her student years.

 Loki began to suck. She thought it was more of a gulp, but felt like he was sipping from her. His lips were tight on her and she felt like he was giving her a hickey. Then...something odd began to happen. She moaned.

 A long shiver ran through her and her core pulsed. Her eyes snapped open and she gasped, then moaned again, feeling just as aroused as she was when they first had sex. She squeezed his hand, rubbing her thighs together, enjoying his lips on her. Even her nipples peaked.

 He continued for a long time, or so it seemed, and she just was more and more turned on. "Loki..." she whispered. She was feeling light-headed, but it wasn't from the blood loss.

 At his name, he stopped drinking and pulled back, licking the wound. It made her skin tingle and Nat shivered. She knew from seeing it with her own eyes that she would heal fast to leave no trace.

 "Did I take too much?" he asked with concern.

 Shaking her head, her eyes fluttered and she smiled as she turned to face him. "I'm...fine...more than fine." She leaned in to kiss him, not caring about the copper taste on his lips. Her arousal was still there, her thumb running over his knuckles.

 He only needed his fangs to get to the vein, he'd told her among the answers to the many questions she'd asked him over the weeks following the discovery, and so they had already retracted when they began to kiss. Between kisses, he asked, "Did...that...turn...you on?"

 She hummed, breathing heavily, her hand coming to rest over his heart. "So… s-so much. You...you will do that again, yes?" She couldn't quiet down her arousal, still. Bringing his hand between her legs, she let him feel it.

 His eyes widened, then he grinned. "This is...amazing. Only Natasha ever felt aroused...then again, no other woman has let me..." He surged forwards and claimed her mouth, kissing her deeply, his fingers probing her core gently. He moaned at the feeling and pressed in deeper, his thumb toying with her nub.

 As he worked her so well and her breath shuddered, he leaned down, licked her neck and then bit her again, harder when he began drinking from her. He barely had time to pump his fingers more when she came hard, screaming in his arms, her hand nearly wringing his wrist.

 “Oh...my...god,” she whispered. “I’ve…I’ve never come this hard just from fingers before.”

 He hummed against her skin, grinning. “It wasn’t just fingers, darling. It seems the bite brings you something a little more thrilling…” Pulling his fingers from her, he tasted her, then said, "Come. I've drunk because I was thirsty, now, let's go to bed and I feel the need...to feast!" He winked at her.

 She knew what he meant so followed him upstairs quickly, where he proved to be another type of beast, making the best of her arousal over and over again.

~;~

 

The next day, they made a schedule, so he would never drink too much to leave her weak, but not too little that HE would weaken. She had learned that he didn't need very much if he drank it every day, the equivalent one wine glass if that.

 But after Christmas, when she had gotten a cold and he would not feed on her because she needed her strength, they didn't have any spare blood around; only a few days without meant Loki became as pale as she had seen him all those weeks ago. That was usually what led him to go out to find an unsuspecting man, he had told her. Even though she was sick, Natalia tended to him, trying to keep him from getting too desperate, just until she felt better; only then did she let him feed on her. It was not sexy, he drank a little too much, and it took much longer for her to get better, but eventually, they were both fine.

 To make sure it wouldn’t happen again, in the New Year, Natalia brought a blood draw kit at home to draw some blood to keep it chilled in case of emergencies. She did it every so often to keep the stash flowing.

 As time passed, she fell more and more in love with Loki and looked to spend most of her free time with him. As a doctor, she tried to understand his condition, wanted to research, but he wouldn't let her, not wanting to waste her life. Others had tried, he said, others who over the years learned of his condition, friends, but none had ever been able to find out how he was turned or if there was a cure.

 One night, at the start of Spring, while they were preparing dinner, she came up behind him, resting her forehead against his back. "I know it'll sound forward, but I have something to ask."

 He smiled and turned in her embrace so her face was squished against his chest. "Yes, darling? Ask anything!"

 "Well, it's two questions… First… Would you be my...travel partner? I have vacation time coming and must take them. I'd like to travel with you..."

 Loki smiled down at her and grins. "Yes, I am aware of your time off. You've been saying how much you needed time to get away, and in fact… I have a surprise for you."

 Her eyes widened. "Wait, no… You didn't get me that bag I saw on TV? That suitcase with the London Tower on it?" She felt like a little child at a candy store.

 He stalled. "Um...actually...no..." She pouted while he went over to an envelope. He gave it to her. "Open it."

 She hurriedly did, curious to see what it was. When she saw the tickets, her eyes widened. "Oh. My. God." Natalia looked at him. "You're taking me to Russia??"

 He smiled brightly at her and nodded. "Yes. 5 days and 6 glorious nights in Mother Russia."

 "Oh, my God!  Oh, my God!  Oh, my God!  Oh, my God!" She bounced around the kitchen then jumped into his arms, kissing him hard. "Thank you!!!"

 He laughed to see her so happy and kissed her back. "So, your question about being your travelling companion is a resounding yes!"

 She remained hauled up in his arms, turning a bit serious. "The other question...uhm...it's more...personal..."

 He furrowed his brow. "Yes?"

 She hurried to her purse and pulled out an envelope as well. “Do you think we could go there after?” In the envelope were plane tickets for Japan so they could be there during cherry blossom season. “Would you like to go with me?”

 Loki's eyes lit up and he hugged her. "I would love to go back, and with you, the smell of the cherry blossoms will pale in comparison to the joy of having you with me!" He then looked at the dates on the ticket and laughed.

 She frowned. "What is it? You can't do those dates?

 He shook his head and carried on laughing. "Look at the dates on the tickets to Russia..."

 Natalia pulled the Russia tickets out. "Oh! OH! Well, we'll be gone for a while!" She grinned and wrapped her arms around his waist, holding the tickets. "This will be so great!"

 He hugged her. The tickets showed that they would be back for one day from Russia before heading back out to Japan. "Perhaps we can try and speak to our travel agents to arrange a connection from Russia to Japan. I think it would be a much more enjoyable flight." He kissed her, taking her to the living room where wine awaited them

~;~

 

 Scheduling her time off, Natalia was happy to leave the hospital behind for a while to travel with Loki. The excitement made her check her bags three times in a row to make sure she didn’t forget anything, especially the multivitamins.

 They left in the early morning, landing in Russia at the fall of day, only to spend the most amazing six days. The Motherland was a fantastic trip, the couple going back to where they were both from. It was like a dream come true for her and a trip down memory lane for Loki. He showed her houses he’d lived in, places he’d visited.

 Once that trip ended, they took a connecting flight to Japan, as they’d arranged with the travel agent. After resting for a day, they began visiting the tourist-filled areas. Japan was beautiful in the spring, full of new things for them to see. The food was amazing, fresh and tasty, and the places to discover more amazing than the last. They made the most of it for the little time they were there.

 The trip back was less enjoyable, only because Natalia was so tired. The jet lag got to her and she snuggled against Loki on the plane. Once they were in the cab at the airport, she fell asleep right then and there, enough that he had to carry her inside his house while the cab driver took the suitcases in.

 Back in his home, Natalia woke up with the sunlight on her nose. Loki was next to her sleeping as well and she smiled, turning to kiss him.

 The past two weeks had been such an amazing experience it made her realise something, that she was truly and hopelessly in love with her strange non-cliché Vampire, who ate food, had a heartbeat, didn't sleep in a coffin, could go out in the sunlight, and only drank blood because he _had_ to, to survive.

 He said without opening his eyes; "I can feel you staring..."

 She snorted and nuzzled his shoulder. "I can't help it. You're beautiful." She kissed his pale skin, wrapping an arm around his chest. "I'll let you sleep more if you need to."

 He laughed lightly. "I think I could sleep for days with you in my arms alone..."

 She hummed. "Well...we _could_ do that now, you know..." Loki's eyebrow raised so she continued. "I'm here all the time, I have clothes here, a toothbrush. What do you think of me moving here? I could rent my house since it's paid for, bring all my stuff and invade you like a leech." The more she spoke, the more scared she got he wouldn't want to, hence the joke. To her despair, he grunted as he moved away from her wordlessly and she was even more afraid she'd been too forward. "Loki, I..."

 He sat up and swung his leg over the side of the bed and sat there, hunching over. She reached out a hand to touch his back but stalled. "Loki?"

 "This is moving fast," he said softly. "Are you sure you want to move in with an old man like me? I am centuries your senior!" He then turned, showing a mischievous glint in his eyes. He winked.

 Her heart nearly dropped, and tears were prickling in her eyes when he finally spoke. She slapped his arm. "You jerk! I thought you were going to say no!" She shuffled to the edge of the bed, laying her head against him. "Well, I'm the young one who'll keep you in the loop. And experience is never a bad thing." To illustrate, she licked his shoulder slowly, humming.

 A low growl came from deep in his chest, the thing that made her remember her initial dreams she had of him, and more recently, where they were intimate like that in real life. He pounced on her and she laughed out loud as he, instead of having his way with her as she thought, he tickled her and blew raspberries on her throat and stomach until she nearly peed.

 When she came back from the bathroom, he was holding a small velvet box. He wasn't down on one knee, but she still thought, _Oh my god!_ Her heart racing, she looked into his eyes.

 He handed it to her and when she opened it, it was a bright shiny key. "You always know what I'm thinking," he said softly. "I was going to give this to you tonight."

 She smiled broadly, taking the box and wrapping her arms around his shoulders, tilting him back on the bed to kiss him. "I'm so glad! I promise, I'm tidy and I don't have that much stuff. And I'll cook too!" She peppered his face with kisses, then did what he did, blowing a loud raspberry on his neck. "I never thought I'd get to do this." Laughing like a child, she did it again.

 He held her tightly with his face buried in her neck. She'd long since stopped worrying he was going to drink from her without her permission, and because the drinking usually was accompanied by sex because of how aroused it made her feel, his hot breath on her skin always made her shiver with pleasure.

 "Same here. After Natasha...I never thought I would ever find love again..." He kissed her. "I'm so glad you brought your friend’s daughter to my door last year on Halloween..."

 "A fake vampire who turned out to be a real one and also, the best thing that ever happened to me. Next Halloween, we'll need to find me a vampire costume. The vampires at the corner house will be the best house around." She looked up and him, kissing his chin. "I love you, Loki. Thank you for running after me that day and not letting me leave without an explanation.”

 “You don’t regret it?”

 “Not a single second.”

 

THE END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and for your lovely comments. We hope you've enjoyed Natalia and Loki's story!


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